Indian ocean tsunami disaster

Since the tsunami in the Indian ocean devastated Asia, ActionAid has reached out to more than 757,000 affected people in five countries. We are committed to working with the most vulnerable communities for as long as their recovery takes.

ActionAid is working with 33 local organisations on projects in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, The Maldives and Somalia. By the end of 2007 we will have spent £35 million on relief and rehabilitation projects. ActionAid has helped fishing families return to sea, provided affordable health care to Moken sea gypsies, supported small business owners in Sri Lanka, put children first in Thailand, represented the most marginalised in India, especially women and initiated a back to school campaign and reached 500 of the most vulnerable families in Somalia.

Rapid Response
Within hours of the disaster, ActionAid was working alongside affected people, providing them with food, water, clothing, medical supplies and essential household items. While distributing immediate relief, we also began advocating for poor, marginalised and vulnerable people. Ensuring that they were able to voice their concerns and have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. This included important decisions such as where to rebuild their homes and how best to allocate relief funds.

photo : ©Patrick Brown/Panos Pictures/ActionAid